An evening out in London town is a wonderful thing, characterized by a plethora of options one tends not to see elsewhere in life. Comedy, Cabaret, Burlesque, Pantomime, DJ, or a good old-fashioned night on the tiles at one of its many intact Victorian boozers, London nightlife is world famous, likely because it has something for everyone... at just about any hour of any given night.

Being honest with ourselves for a moment, we can visit only so many museums, art galleries or exhibitions, or take the dog for so many leisurely walks around Richmond Park before we become very thirsty. As luck would have it, the quality and variety of London after-dark is comparable to its more refined daytime cultural offerings. The National Portrait Gallery in Trafalgar Square is mere walking distance from the clubbing three-storey Mecca at Heaven, and so there are sights and spots for persons of all entertainment persuasions, lurking around every corner, as it were.

A stroll through the city with a seasoned partygoer should reveal innumerable hidden treasures of London nightlife: from a quiet drink in the park to the infamous "Breakfast at Egg," a random collection of some of the capital's most dedicated clubbers, assembling themselves to dance the Sunday morning away, generally after a long, hard night passed in less extraordinary venues. Pub closing times notwithstanding, there would be no difficulty drinking the clock round if one was willing and able to navigate the diverse assortment of evening, late night and early morning entertainment options that the city has to offer.

Foreign visitors stopping off to partake of the nightlife is nothing new, though numerous venues are beginning to take notice of the financial compensation that can be derived from "Party Tourism." Hotels in London are beginning to offer specialized concierge services to deal with the wacky requests of out-of-town visitors and other hard partying guests. This generally means guestlist services, club tickets and VIP access requests rather than more conventional dinner and West-End theatre and musical reservations, and so the ranks of London's clubgoing populace, foreign and domestic, continue to grow.